1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a device for holding and storing hockey sticks and other sporting equipment which have long handles.
Devices for holding and storing hockey sticks and other sporting equipment are available. Those devices have generally provided for methods of holding the sticks horizontally but not vertically or have not been portable or have not had a method of ensuring that the hockey sticks do not fall out of the storage device or rack that does not involve opening and closing the stick holder. Although there are various holding and storage devices, there is need for a device which will hold the hockey sticks or other sporting equipment in a vertical position, ensure that they do not fall over or out of the device, even when hit and which is easily transported and portable.
2. Description of Prior Art
The prior art has included devices for storing and holding hockey sticks. These are devices which generally have an opening only in one direction or hold them only at one end of the hockey stick or have no method of keeping the hockey sticks from falling over except those devices which have had methods which require the mechanism to be open and closed prior to insertion and removal. There is no device which allows the hockey stick to be placed vertically into the rack and effectively locking it in place and preventing it from falling over by nothing more than inserting the stick in the rack and which allows removal on the same basis without having to clamp, unclamp or otherwise deal with the hockey stick and which device is free standing, portable and can be disassembled.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,627 issued to Tomeny is a hockey stick carrier providing for the horizontal storage of hockey sticks. If one end of the stick is bumped, then the hockey stick will jump out of the rack and fall on to the floor. The device cannot be disassembled for easy transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,278 issued to Craft, Stitchick and Gormley is a storage equipment rack. Although the device provides for vertical storage of hockey sticks and other sporting goods, there is no provision for locking the bottom end of the hockey stick in place, allowing the bottom end to slide within the device. The device cannot be disassembled and it is not portable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,794 issued to Reedy is a rack with a hoop and hook assembly to hold sports equipment such as hockey sticks. The subject device is permanently fixed in place and is not portable and cannot be disassembled. It only holds the one end of the stick, allowing the other end of the stick to swing freely unlike the subject invention.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,085 issued to Belisle has similar differences in that the openings for the hockey stock both face in the same direction, the base is significantly larger than the subject invention and occupies significant space in the dressing room. The only method of locking the sticks in place is to put a bar or strap over the sticks holding it in place, which must be opened and closed each time a stick is inserted or removed, unlike the subject invention.